1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three dimensional (“3D”) imaging device and a method thereof either receptive or projective in nature without requirement for an adaptive eye ware.
The present invention further relates to a method to create two independent light rays to be projected or recorded through the same lens assembly for capturing or generating 3D images.
2. Description of Related Art
Televisions have evolved using a series of refinements over the decades. However, throughout these advancements, the fundamental principals have remained mainly unaltered, from the very first black and white TV, where only information pertaining to luminosity was sent to a specific pixel, to color TV where the only difference made was the addition of a color sub carrier to the old technology. When TV's transition to HD technology the resolution increased but the technology behind the TV remained the same.
The next evolution in the TV viewing experience, 3D images, brings a whole new methodology of viewing but is still based on the same TV technology as before. Many believe that the 3D TV today uses a completely new internal technology. In reality, it utilizes only a modification of the previous TV technologies.
3D images are created by replicating how the human eyes see, allowing for our sense of depth and perception of space. To create a 3D image, it requires two cameras, they must record an image simultaneously from different angles, mimicking how the human eyes see. Both images are then projected by the same source in unison. However, this does not fully create a 3D image but only an image that will appear blurry to the viewer. The images then need to be filtered so that the image recorded by the right vantage point is only seen by the right eye and vice versa for the left. This can be done in a number of ways. Chromatic filtration was the first method and used red and cyan lenses in the glasses. This worked however resulted in an undesirable coloration in the resulting image. Newer technology has emerged using polarized light allowing for images to be viewed with unaltered and vibrant colors.
There are, in general, three (3) types of 3D TV's in either commercial distribution or in a research stage. These utilize Active, Passive and/or Parallax technology.
Active 3D technology uses Electronic Shutter Glasses to produce a 3D image. The TV will show 120 images per second, 60 images for the right eye and 60 for the left. The glasses synchronize with the TV by using an infrared or Bluetooth signals. The signal generated from the TV controls the activation of liquid crystal in the optics of the glasses. When an electrical current passes through the optics, the liquid crystal causes the optic to go opaque blocking out the image. The glasses alternate the optical element in sync with the TV. This allows only the image meant to be seen by a particular eye to be seen at any given time. As this happens faster than the human eye can detect, the illusion that there is a constant 3D image is created.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, passive 3D technology uses polarization of light. This is a much more sophisticated form of anaglyph technology, the method used for decades using multicolored glasses, typically a red-cyan combination. Passive 3D is what is used in the commercial movie theaters, primarily with the use of inexpensive eye glasses. Passive TV's work by having every other pixel polarized in the opposite direction. Image information meant for the left eye 21 is polarized in the opposite direction as the right 22. The glasses 30 are then polarized to correspond with the polarization angles from the TV's, which are typically at 45 degrees for the left eye 31 and 135 degrees for the right eye 32. As the lens optic on the glasses only allows for light with the same polarization angle to pass through the correct image is delivered to the corresponding eye.
Another form of 3D displaying device utilizes Parallax Barriers 40 as shown in FIG. 3. Parallax Barriers 40 allow for 3D viewing without glasses by using a barrier film 60 matched to the pixel pitch of the screen 70, providing the illusion of 3D. Every other pixel on the screen 70 will show an image for the corresponding eyes 50 and 55. Parallax barriers 40 rely on restricting light to travel in one direction crossing through the barrier 60 and then to the human eyes 50 and 55. However good this may sound the technology is limited to one, and only one viewing angle or position. Therefore, this is very restrictive for viewing.
These three technologies all rely on reusing existing TV technology.
For example, Canadian Patent Application No. 2,518,595 by Uwe et al., published on Oct. 21, 2004, teaches an apparatus and method for the conversion of a standard two dimensional screen into a 3D auto stereoscopic display. However, the application of the 3D optical assembly requires the disassembly of the front bezel and modification of the existing screen to install the 3D conversion assembly. Furthermore not all existing two dimensional screens are suitable for conversion. Precision alignment and signal processing are also required to provide a signal providing 3D imagery.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO2010122711 by Ogawa et al., published Oct. 28, 2010, teaches the play back of 3D images using 3D image playback apparatus. The apparatus consists of a signal transmitter and a receiver built in to the Active Shutter of the glasses to control the synchronization between the TV and the viewing apparatus. These proprietary glasses are referred to as Active Shutter Glasses or an Active 3D system. However, such specialized TVs require proprietary viewing glasses that are costly.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010107247 by Seo et al., published Sep. 23, 2010, teaches a polarized filtration of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) using a passive 3D technology. This application of 3D imaging comprises of the application of the standard TV display panel with the addition of a polarized filter panel that is built into the screen, thus relying on polarized glasses for viewing. However, precision assembly of the screen is required for a high quality and consistent imagery between all screens assembled using this technology. Unlike active 3D technology, this allows for the use of inexpensive glasses to be used to create a stereoscopic image at all viewing angles; however the use of glasses restricts ease of use, comfort and convenience for multiple viewers.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/119592 by Tsuchida, published Oct. 21, 2010, teaches the creation of a 3D stereoscopic display requiring no adaptive technology to be able to view the stereoscopic 3D image by implementing a parallax barrier. While this device allows for stereoscopy to occur without specialized viewing equipment, it is limited to direct viewing from a single vantage point. Viewing at various angles other than the optimized viewing angle and distance from the screen will result in the loss of 3 D viewing.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/122690 by Kikuchi et al., published on Oct. 28, 2010, merely teaches enhanced brightness of a parallax barrier for both 2D and 3D displays.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/121945 by Akhriev et al., published on Oct. 28, 2010 discloses the use of face tracking to render a 3D image based on the subject's vantage point. While this would overcome the limitation of restricted viewing angles by tracking the subject's movement but does not address the issue of displaying 3D images to multiple viewers.
PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/116614 by Kimoto et al., published Oct. 14, 2010 discloses a device used in the generation of a 3D image. While it relates to the processing of an image, it does not disclose any device or method of creating 3D images that can be viewed on the disclosed device.
The aforementioned existing technologies are limited in their applications. The adaptations of existing technologies, as listed above, would result in an impractical and non-viable product for both consumer and commercial markets. Therefore, there is a need to improve at least one of these issues listed above.